Warren Haynes Returns to Red Rocks With New Band and Colorado Symphony

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Warren Haynes is a name synonymous with soul-soaked guitar riffs, gritty blues, Southern roots rock and a relentless passion for live performance. He’s no stranger to Colorado, having performed here as part of the Allman Brothers; with his own group, Govt Mule; with the Dead; and even with a full symphony for a Jerry Garcia tribute.

Now he’s returning to Colorado to perform with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra again, but not to pay tribute to Garcia. Instead, he’ll be playing music from the long and winding journey of his own career as a singer, songwriter, guitarist and bandleader. The Warren Haynes Band’s Now Is the Time tour will play Red Rocks Amphitheatre, one of Haynes’s favorite venues, on Tuesday, September 10, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are available now.

Haynes will perform two sets with his band as the “Dreams & Songs Symphonic Experience,” and one with just his band. He promises material from the thirty-plus years of his career, including music by the Allman Brothers and Gov’t Mule, his solo recordings and songs by Garcia. The Red Rocks stop is the only one on the tour that will feature the Symphonic Experience.

Born in Asheville, North Carolina, in 1960, Haynes grew up amid the rolling hills and rich musical traditions of the Appalachian region, where his early exposure to rock, blues and soul shaped his distinctive sound.

“I think my first musical memory was hearing Black gospel music on the radio on Sunday morning in the car when I must have been, like, five or six years old,” he said in a recent interview. “And it just kind of made the hair on my arm stand up, and then a few years later, I would hear James Brown and get that same feeling. I grew up hearing Sam and Dave and the Four Tops and the Temptations and Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Wilson Pickett and Otis Redding.”

And classic rock and roll, thanks to his older brothers, who introduced him to Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton. By the time he was twelve, Haynes had picked up the guitar, and before long, he was playing in local bands.

He began performing with veteran musicians like Dickey Betts of the Allman Brothers, and in 1989 he was asked to join the re-formed Allman Brothers Band.

But it was with Gov’t Mule, the band he co-founded in 1994, that Haynes truly found his voice. What began as a side project quickly grew into a powerhouse trio, known for its heavy, improvisational style and mix of rock, blues and funk. Gov’t Mule has evolved over the years with Haynes at the helm, exploring new musical territories while staying true to its jam-band roots.

Haynes has since contributed to and performed with a variety of artists, including former members of the Grateful Dead, which led to his symphonic tribute.

“It had been in the back of my mind. I always thought of doing something with an orchestra, but it was always kind of on the back burner,” Haynes says. “Then I got a call from the Jerry Garcia estate, saying that they had this idea of doing Jerry's music with a symphony, and they wanted it to be with different artists fronting the symphony and singing the songs. And they wanted to know if I was interested in being the first one. And I said I would be honored. So that kind of planted the seed with me. That gave me the idea that now is the time to do it.”

Haynes certainly has the musical catalogue to draw on for what he promises will be a “long night” at Red Rocks. His new R&B-rich album, Million Voices Whisper, is set for release in the fall, with the first single dropping on August 29.

In the ever-changing landscape of rock and roll, Warren Haynes stands as a beacon of authenticity, a musician whose work transcends trends and continues to resonate with audiences worldwide. His journey — from the hills of Asheville to the world’s biggest stages, including, of course, Red Rocks — is a testament to both his talent and the enduring power of music.